Traveling the Sac-Be 2011 – Part Four

Heading out of Mahahual we made one more stop. With some empty water bottles, we headed to 100% Agave, to get our tequila right out of the barrel—a necessity for our Sac-Be party in Akumal. Rebottled into glass containers and labeled at Lol-Ha, it became known as Sac-Be Moonshine. You have to love an adventure in a place that turns your empty water bottles into your very own private reserve tequila bottles! Sorry to leave, but excited to get to Akumal for several days of fun ending with Mike's 60th Birthday/Sac-Be Bash, we headed north.

Lisa had not yet seen a Maya ruin up close, so we made a quick stop at Muyil, just south of Tulúm. We didn't have time to take advantage of the lagoon but did enjoy seeing the ruins and the surprise visit from the spider monkeys who put on quite a show above our heads.

Anyone who knows me personally is not surprised that we had to go back by La Selva Mariposa, where this trip began, to get somethings I left. We decided to grab a bite to eat at a great little street taco stand in Macario Gomez. The four of us were great traveling together because we were all up for anything and loved trying little local places to eat. The tacos hit the spot and we were back on the road heading to Akumal.

We checked into the oceanfront hotel at Hotel Akumal Caribe, where it is always like home to me. The rooms are older but so tastefully done, clean and have THE perfect location. The staff at Hotel Akumal Caribe are so warm and friendly. This time we had the pleasure of meeting Sam, a great addition to the staff. He is the bar manager, and lived in New York long enough to be a Giant's fan! POINTS to Sam! If you are in the area, stop by and meet him; you with be thoroughly delighted with his charm and humor.

After a full day of driving we settled for dinner and drinks at Lol-Ha Beach Bar. Matt could not wait to try the Lol-Ha Burger and impressed us all when he actually ate one and a half!

Friday Matt and Lisa headed to Hidden Worlds (link to Lisa's story), Mike opted for some quiet time at the beach, and I was off to Puerto Aventuras for an incredible spa treatment at Think Organik Spa (link to video) followed by lunch with David Nuñez and Lucy Gallagher. Think Organik opened in March 2011 and sells totally natural foods and products which are all organic. In the future they will be offering workshops, but for this day I was there for the special Mayan Full Treatment. Joaly's treatment was amazing; it just drifted me away to another dimension with the combination of massage, hot stones, crystals and Reiki.

The rest of the day we spent in Akumal visiting friends. It didn't take Matt and Lisa long to find the crow's nest at La Buena Vida. It did however take a while to get them down! We made sure we took some time to visit with Bob and Sherwood Anders at La Iguana and see the changes they have made to the plunge pool and the addition of their new courtyard pool. La Iguana offers 1–3 bedroom condos and many of the owners rent them out.

Saturday morning began with private massages on our balconies by El Indio. There is no better way to start a day than with the sun coming up, birds singing, the wind waving the palms and a full body massage. Mike and Lisa followed suit after they saw the look of total relaxation on my face. Note this was the second massage in less than 24 hours!

Saturday we spent the afternoon with David Poor. If you are looking for the perfect location to have a family reunion or small wedding, this is the perfect spot. The main house, Casa Romero, is one with a lot of history in Akumal. Later on six townhouses with rooftop pools were added to the property. Sitting right on the lagoon, this is a perfect spot for a private wedding and all your guests! We will be adding several videos showing this property in the months to come; to start off, here is a glimpse of the magnificent views.

Saturday night it was time to party. We kicked off the affair with a wonderful blessing on the beach with El Indio. He not only blessed Mike and his 60th visit around the sun but also loved ones who were battling life-threatening illnesses. It was a truly special moment to reflect and thank a higher power for all we hold so dear.

Happy Hour was followed by dinner at Lol-Ha, an amazing musical show by Arpason, and Gynna belly dancing. Good food, great entertainment and amazing friends made for a perfect combination.

Slow start the next morning, but that's OK; we only had to go as far as Playa Del Carmen. We began with breakfast on the veranda at Lol-Ha (see video) then slowly gathered our stuff and said goodbye to friends. We squeezed in a little business when I sat with Paul, Director of CEA, and did some new video interviews for our environmental section.

Next stop was to see Sharon and Steve Wandler's new home, Casa Alma. You will read more about this in our next issue, along with my tales of Playa Del Carmen and a review of La Tortuga, one of the most amazing little gems in all of Playa, with a pool winding through the property, private jacuzzis on the roof, and more.